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Region News in Brief

SWANTON (AP) -- Fire has destroyed a sugar house in the Vermont town of Swanton.

The owner discovered the fire early Friday morning.

When the fire department arrived, the sugar house was fully involved. No one was injured.

Authorities say the building, a dump truck and tractor are all a total loss. The damage is estimated to be more than $120,000.

Authorities had not determined the cause of the fire but said blaze is not considered to be suspicious.
Second wave of milder flu hitting Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) -- A second, milder wave of flu is hitting the Northeast.

Months ago, the flu season seemed to be winding down. But health officials on Friday reported widespread flu-like illnesses in six states. Rhode Island is the latest to join the list which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Jersey and New York.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the flu season started in December and peaked by mid-January, and most of the illnesses were swine flu.

But, as happens some years, there’s a second wave of a milder flu strain.

Pilot parachutes from small plane before crash

HIGHGATE (AP) -- Vermont State Police say the pilot of a small plane that crashed next to Interstate 89 in Highgate suffered minor injuries after parachuting out of the plane to safety.

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One lane of Interstate 89 north in Highgate has reopened after the crash on Friday.

State Police Spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro said preliminary reports were that the single-seat plane was on fire.

The crash was reported at mile marker 125 just north of Interstate exit 21 in Swanton. The cause of the crash is being investigated.

Police ID man killed motorcycle crash

BURLINGTON (AP) -- Police have released the name of the man killed in a motorcycle crash in the Vermont city of Burlington.

Police say 24-year-old Tyler Benjamin of Winooski died Thursday, after hitting a guardrail on Route 127 and being thrown from the bike. He died a short time later at the hospital.

Authorities say an accident reconstruction team is working to determine what caused the crash and any contributing factors.

Any witnesses to the crash are asked to call Burlington police.

Survivors keep busy as Boston Marathon approaches

BOSTON (AP) -- Survivors of last year’s twin bombings at the Boston Marathon say they have mixed feelings as the race day approaches.

Celeste Corcoran and Heather Abbott say the days leading up to the race have been filled with public appearances, media interviews and gatherings with friends and family.

But, speaking at an event Friday evening a few blocks from the marathon finish line, they said the busy schedule is a welcome "distraction" from thinking about how much has changed in a year.

On race day, Corcoran, of Lowell, says she’ll use her new running ‘blades’ as she joins her sister, who’s running the full marathon, as she crosses the finish line.

Abbott, of Newport, R.I., says she’ll be using her new running blade to cross the finish line with a woman who helped her after last year’s race.

Former Maine tribal official caught in elver case

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- New York authorities have arrested a former Passamaquoddy tribal representative to Maine’s Legislature and seven other people on charges of illegally harvesting baby eels on Long Island’s East End.

Frederick J. Moore III, of Perry, and others surrendered April 8. Authorities charged them with lacking a foodfish permit and over the limit possession of American eels and undersized eels, all felonies.

Moore told The Associated Press he was helping a local Native American tribe establish an eel restoration program.

Also arrested were Wallace Wilson of Mastic, N.Y., Michael Cardoze of Brooklyn, N.Y., Gordell Wright of Southampton, N.Y., Daniel Patrick White of Akwesane, N.Y., Kyle Lewey and Frederick J. Moore IV of Perry, and Ginew Benton of Hope Valley, R.I. They are due in court June 25 in Central, Islip, N.Y.

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